


7 Small Moments

by Ellabee15



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 12:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13636578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellabee15/pseuds/Ellabee15
Summary: Post episode 10Ginny and Mike can't be together yet. At least not in the way either of them want. Here are 7 small moments that the two of them are there for each other.





	7 Small Moments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inmyfashion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyfashion/gifts).



1

The first thing Ginny saw when she woke up after surgery was Mike Lawson trying to steal her jello. 

“Freeze, old man.” Her voice rasped as her throat burned. It was barely a whisper and she almost doubted she’d spoken at all, but Mike froze. His head snapped towards her, his eyes wide, searching her before his signature smug smirk took over his face as he moved back into his seat, stolen jello in hand. 

“You’re awake.” He sounded relieved. Ginny shut her eyes, leaning her head back against the hospital pillows. She was too tired to keep them open and her skull felt too heavy. 

“Yes.” She mumbled, wincing as her stomach rumbled. She was starving. “And I want my jello.” She cracked open an eye to glare at him. 

“No you don’t.” Mike picked up the pudding cup and grimaced as he held it up. “It’s green.” 

Ginny wrinkled her nose. She hated green jello. She-

“You like red.” It was almost a whisper and she wasn’t sure she’d imagined it until she looked back at him. Mike was turning over the jello cup, his expression pained, almost as though he’d said to much. Sometime among the last three months of going over hitters, early morning workouts and team bus rides she’d mentioned it to him. She couldn’t remember telling him, but Mike had. A heavy silence hung between them. She pushed a breath past the tightness in her chest before saying. 

“Your brain fixates on weird things in your old age, gramps.” 

A smile. 

“Fortunately for you.” Mike sat back in his chair with the jello and a spoon. “I have no problem with green.” He opened the cup. Ginny felt the tension go slack. Settling on her pillows, she looked over at him. 

“What are you doing here?” She yawned. “Besides stealing my food.” 

“It’s my turn to babysit.” Mike said. “We’ve got a whole schedule.” He waved his spoon towards her shoulder. “Plus someone has to be here to catch the nurses when they unbandage that thing. It’s going to be gnarly.” He flexed. “And catching is kinda what they pay me for.” 

Ginny was about to retort when the door opened and a bouquet of roses walked in. Ginny blinked, trying to make sense of how an explosion of red flowers could have legs, when it was lowered and Noah’s face emerged from the top of it. “Ginny, I was hoping you’d be awake.” 

She gave him a smile and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Noah didn’t seem to be bothered, though.

“I talked to the doctors and they said you should be able to go on a plane. I had them give me the details of what type of physical rehab you’d need, that way we can have a personal therapist travel with us.” 

Mike let out a choking sound. Noah looked over at him, seemingly surprised to see him, giving Ginny the opportunity to hide her expression of panic. The trip had sounded crazy even before the accident, and the surgery. Hell, she wasn’t sure that the only reason she’d considered it wasn’t currently sitting in a plastic hospital chair choking on green jello. Swallowing her feelings, she recentered herself. 

“Sorry.” Mike cleared his throat. “Turns out you’re right, Baker. The green stuff will kill yah.” 

Noah shot him a confused look before turning back to Ginny. 

“You talked to my doctors?” She said. Noah nodded, completely unaware of her panic, as if their sharing of privileged patient information was no big deal. Mike’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything, instead he looked at her. He was waiting for her lead. 

“I told them I was your boyfriend.” Noah shrugged. “So I’m thinking we start with Venice.” 

Her head was reeling. Dimly, she heard the heart monitor next to her beep faster as her chest tightened. “Venice?” She asked, fighting to keep her cool. 

“For our trip.” Noah’s face was swimming. Then it was replaced with Mike’s face. He stood in front of her, his eyes focused on her. She pretended they were going over hitters in the clubhouse and it made her calm down. 

“Baker.” He said, his voice calm. She shut her eyes, taking in a breath. Exhaling, she counted to ten slowly before inhaling again. Opening her eyes, she swallowed nervously before looking at Noah again. He was glaring at Mike. 

“We’re trying to have a conversation.” He said. Mike didn’t even look at him, his eyes were focused on Ginny. 

“If she wants me gone, she’ll say so.” 

“Noah.” Ginny didn’t know where she’d found it in her to speak. “I don’t think…” She hesitated before stealing her resolve. She’d had enough of people making decisions for her. She’d meant what she said on the mound. She was making her own calls. “I don’t want to go on this trip with you.” She said. “And I’m not your girlfriend.” 

Noah seemed taken aback, but it was Mike’s expression that surprised Ginny. For a moment, he looked relieved. He quickly ducked his head, rubbing at the back of his neck as he stepped back from her bed. Noah looked between the two of them before nodding curtly and leaving. 

Another tense silence fell. Mike broke it when he nudged at her leg. “I’m sitting down.” He said, letting out a groan as he sank onto the mattress. “Hospital chairs are rough.” He explained. Ginny bit her lip. “What?” He said. “No brittle old man joke?” 

“Too easy.” She murmured, looking at her shoulder. While the drugs were fading, her head was still fuzzy and her shoulder didn’t feel like it was part of her. “Mike.” She hesitated. “You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.” 

Mike snorted. “Are you kidding?” He held up his snack. “Free Jello.” He glanced at the door. “Plus, someone has to make sure you don’t fly off to Venice.” 

Ginny’s stomach grumbled. She winced as Mike grinned. 

“I also ordered you real food.” He motioned to her stomach. “Cuz, I figured you’d be hungry.” He paused before adding. “You need your strength if you’re going to be waving me off next season.” 

Ginny shook her head. “Lawson-” 

“Nope, speech time.” He said, straightening his spine as he shifted into his “speech stance’. “You’re not done, Baker. You almost pitched the first no hitter in Padres history-” 

“Keyword being almost.” Ginny mumbled, looking down at her hand. Her head was clearer and her shoulder itched. Mike scoffed. 

“That’s something to be damn proud of. Next time you’ll do it.” He said. “I’ve given you a lot of pep talks this season. Mostly because I know you find them inspiring and full of important life lessons, but also because I really believe in you. I wouldn’t just give out speeches to anyone. I mean it.” He added as she bit back a grin. “You see me wasting my gifts on Duarte?” He scooted up so he was sitting next to her on the bed. Leaning back against the pillows, he looked over at her. “You’re going to rest, go through physical therapy so you can help me haze the new rookies in spring training.” He looked over at her. “Is it going to be easy? Hell no. It’ll be annoying and painful and sometimes you’re going to want to give up. But you won’t. You’re not done.” 

She nodded. “I know that.” 

“Course you do.” He spooned a bunch of Jello and put it in his mouth before saying. “You just wanted the Lawson reassurance.”

Ginny hesitated before moving to press her shoulder against his arm. Mike inhaled sharply, keeping his eyes forward. The heaviness set back in. A dull pain thrummed in her shoulder. She pressed her lips together as it passed.

“What happens if I…” She hesitated, not sure how to explain the dread that was taking over. “What happens if I...what happens if it becomes too much.” Her arm didn’t even feel like it belonged to her anymore, much less that she could use it to pitch. 

Mike nudged her gently, giving her a smile as she looked at him. “Then I’ll be there.” He bit his lip. “You don’t have to go through this alone.” He looked at her, his eyes searching hers before he added. “This. Or anything else.” 

The enormity of what he was offering stunned her. She understood that he meant for more than the recovery and as more than just a teammate, but that he knew it wasn’t possible. Not yet at least. 

“At least until the Jello runs out.” She mumbled. Mike threw back his head and laughed. Ginny rolled her eyes. She leaned her head on his shoulder, if anyone asked, she’d blame it on the drugs. “When’s the food getting here?” She grumbled. Mike hesitated before putting his head on top of hers. 

“Soon, Baker.” He murmured. “Soon.” 

 

2  
The guys lost their bid for the wild card spot. Ginny watched the game from the comfort of her hotel room with an ice pack on her shoulder. At the end of the game, the camera caught Mike looking forlorn as he pulled off his catcher’s mask. She bit down on the pain in her chest and ignored the voice in the back of her head that told her that if she hadn’t pushed herself or if she’d done something, anything different, she’d be with her team right now. Even in loss, she wanted to be there for them. 

“This is really disappointing for Captain Mike Lawson.” The anchor was saying. “A lot of people were speculating that this would be his last season and I think we all know he definitely hoped for a different outcome.” 

Grabbing her phone, she hesitated as she looked at the screen. Mike was probably dodging the press. As the Captain and the most senior member of the team, a quote from him would definitely be worth a lot. He would be too busy to pick up. She’d call him later.

The rest of the post game coverage was pretty much the same. All of them speculating about Mike’s knees. A few even wondering if things would have been different had she been up on the mound. 

Shutting off the tv, she leaned back against the pillows, looking towards the window. The stadium lights were still on. Her phone buzzed. Livan, asking her to come drown her sorrows with the team. She rolled her eyes. Her pain meds meant that she couldn’t drink. Invitations to hang out came from some of the other guys. Robles, Sonny, Stubbs, Butch. Blip told her that Ev was making dinner if she wanted in, but she ignored them all. 

There was a knock at the door. Ginny frowned, getting up. She opened the door to find Mike on the other side. 

“Hey.” She said. He fiddled with his jacket. 

“Hey.” He choked out. “So…” He cleared his throat. “Helluva game today.” 

“Mike.” Ginny murmured. 

He shook his head, leaning against the door frame. “The guys are drinking at some bar.” 

“I know.” She motioned to her phone. 

Mike followed her movement. “I...couldn’t.” 

She tilted her head. “Go out drinking?” 

“Pretend that this is what I want my life to be.” Mike said, scrubbing a hand over his face. Ginny stepped aside. He walked in, closing the door. “Baker…” He looked at her. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this last season.” He shook his head. “It’s been both the best and worst season of my life.” 

“Oh?” Ginny’s heart was hammering in her chest. 

Mike nodded. “For a long time I thought I knew what I wanted. A ring. My marriage back. To play baseball forever.” He snorted. “Crazy, I know. Now...I’m 36 and I have none of those things.” He sighed. “And during the last inning tonight...I realized a couple things.” He held up a hand. “And this is not leading to that conversation that you said you weren’t ready to have.” He fidgeted. “I want one more season. Playing with you…” He let out a laugh. “You made this fun again. After my marriage fell apart, I fixated on the game in a way that made it a job and not something…” He broke off. “Then you walked into Petco. Smacked my ass and told me you were here to pitch.” He laughed. “So I’m doing one more season.” He grimaced. “Even if it means first base.” 

Ginny looked at her shoulder. “Who’s to say-” 

“Nope.” Mike interrupted. “Don’t even think what you were about to say. You’re going to be playing next season, you know why? Because your hero Mike Lawson said so.” 

Ginny laughed. “You are the worst at pep talks.” 

Mike chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s a lie.” He looked around the room. “I um...I know this is weird, but...do you mind if we hang out, order pizza?” He glanced out the window at the park. “I’d...I’d appreciate not being alone tonight.” 

Ginny arched an eyebrow. Mike winced. 

“Yeah, I heard how that sounded.” He sighed. 

“There’s a pizza place that I have on speed dial.” She said. “If I call them, they’ll send over the Ginny Baker Special.” She smirked as Mike coughed in response. “Being me has its perks.”

“I’ll bet.” Mike said, grabbing the remote and kicking off his shoes. “Kinda wish you were with us.” He said. “You could have been.” 

It was true. Al had asked her to come and watch from the dugout, but she hadn’t felt right about it. “It didn’t feel right.” She murmured. Mike arched an eyebrow.

“The guys missed the hell out of you.” He said. “Robles was heart broken.” 

Ginny sat on the bed, looking at him. “Just Robles?” 

Mike nodded. “There’s no accounting for taste.” He flopped down next to her and turned the TV on, flipping through the channels.

Ginny laughed. “And that’s why Omar’s my favorite.” 

Mike’s face set into a frown. “Omar, huh?” 

Ginny examined him. He was grumpy, sure. But she’d become a bit of an expert Mike Lawson interpreter over the last few months. The crinkles around his eyes told her he was happy grumpy. He was at ease. The silence was comfortable and she felt herself losing some of the tension that had been plaguing her since the beginning of the game. 

“I was worried you guys wouldn’t want me there.” She admitted. 

Mike turned at her in shock. “Why the hell not? You’re a Padre, Baker.” He motioned towards the window. “No matter what anyone else out there thinks, the guys have got your back.” He snorted. “We wouldn’t strip down for just anyone.” 

Ginny laughed. “See I know that’s not true. You boys will use any excuse to prance around naked.” 

“First of all.” Mike said. “The correct artistic terminality is nude.” He waved a hand over his body. “This is a work of art.” 

“That you’ve vandalized.” Ginny mimed stroking a beard, earning herself an eyeroll. Mike smacked his gum, looking at her contemplatively before adding. 

“I looked for you after the last inning.” 

Ginny’s gut clenched. Mike nodded. 

“Stupid, I know, but...you were the only person I wanted to share that moment with.” He swallowed, shaking his head as he looked back at the screen. “That would have been the case win or lose.” 

“Mike.” Ginny murmured. He kept his eyes forward, not daring to look back at her. She edged closer until her knee touched his shoulder. They sat in silence, neither of them paying much attention to the commercials playing on the TV. Ginny hated the weight of things unsaid, but they couldn’t. They were so close. So close to things that would make everything much more complicated. 

But she couldn’t help but reach out and run her hand over his shoulder. 

“One more season.” She murmured. 

The corner of Mike’s mouth ticked upwards and he leaned his head back to look up at her. “One more season.” He agreed. 

 

 

3  
Mike woke up on his 37th birthday with a face full of shaving cream. Blinking down at his hand, he sputtered, looking around. There was a rustling from beneath his bed. Mike sighed as he sat up, recognizing the bronze curly ponytail that whipped out of his line of sight. 

“Baker.” He growled. 

“No one’s here.” 

He shook his head, falling back onto his pillows. “Shaving cream on the hand.” He rolled his eyes. “What is this? Summer camp?” 

Ginny’s head popped up. Leaning her arm on the edge of the bed, she tilted her head. Mike sucked in a breath as she gave him an innocent smirk. 

“How the hell did you get in?” He groaned. 

“Evelyn gave me the code.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “So. 37. The big 3-7. 3 years away from 40-” 

“Is there a point here?” He interrupted. He was old, he knew it. All the guys on the team made sure he knew it. He’d just wanted a day in silence and solitude. 

“No-pe.” Ginny popped the second syllable, folding her knees beneath her. “But I was asking the guys what they had planned for your big day.” She frowned at him. “And they said you didn’t want anything.” 

Mike nodded, grinning in spite of himself at the memory. “I threatened them good.” He glanced at Ginny. “Omar almost cried.” Her unamused look made him wince. “Which...is a bad thing?” 

Ginny leaned back, putting her hand on the bed to brace herself, inadvertently placing it between his two blanket covered legs. Mike gulped and tried not to move, fighting to ignore that if he just bent his knee, it would touch her wrist. 

“So.” Ginny said. “Because I am your best friend, I decided to put myself in charge of your birthday festivities.” 

Mike scrubbed a hand over his face. “Look, Baker. Like you’ve so enthusiastically pointed out in the time that I’ve known you, I’m old. Which means whatever pool jump shot competition you had planned isn’t my idea of fun anymore.” 

Ginny shook her head. “That was one time.” She grumbled. “And I know that, which is why what I’ve got planned takes into account your aching knees.” She smirked. “You’re slowing down. I get it.” 

Mike’s eyes narrowed. “Uh huh.” He sat up, wiping his face. Ginny snorted, adjusting her sling. 

“You’re going to love what I’ve got planned.” 

“Sure, rookie.” Mike tried to keep his voice light as he watched her shift her arm. “Waking up to a face full of shaving cream is how I start all my birthdays.” 

Ginny smirked. “Think of it as a suggestion.” She shifted her sling again. “New year, new you.” She caught him staring at her arm and huffed. “I’m completely okay, old man.” 

“Course you are.” Mike moved off the bed, getting up and ignoring the way his entire body groaned. “I was plotting my revenge.” Stretching, he walked over to his bathroom, washing the shaving cream off his face. Walking back into his room, he watched as Ginny situated herself in the middle of his bed. He swallowed and silenced the part of his brain that was wondering what it would be like to have her there every morning. “So.” He said. “What type of terrible birthday celebration do you have planned?” He motioned to the door of his room. “FYI if the guys are out there planning on surprising me, I have a bat and I’m not afraid to use it.” 

Ginny snorted, getting off the bed. Walking over to the door, she said, “this is going to be the best birthday ever, trust me.” 

Mike fell into step behind her, shaking his head. Inadvertently she’d almost parroted the words his mom would say exactly. How many times had he heard it? ‘This year is going to be the best birthday. Don’t worry MIkey, I mean it this time.’ Shaking himself, he focused on the woman in front of him. Ginny had made it to the bottom of the stairs and was making a beeline to the kitchen counter. There was a pastry box. Mike’s eyes narrowed. 

“Baker,” He said. “Please tell me you didn’t make that.” 

Ginny glared at him. Mike pointed up at the ceiling over the stove where a black scorch mark was still visible against the white paint. Ginny huffed. “Will you ever let that go?” 

Mike grinned. “Not likely.” He sat at the counter in front of the box. “But if your present to me is getting to roast you all day, I accept.” 

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Just open the box.” 

Mike shot her one more suspicious look before opening the box. His eyes widened as he looked at its contents. How the hell had she managed to find one? More importantly, how the hell could she have known? His throat closed as the vague memory of a late night phone conversation tugged at his brain. He’d told her about that birthday. 

“Green Velvet.” He mumbled, pulling the box closer to him before meeting Ginny’s gaze. She was shifting nervously. 

“The man at the bakery thought I was crazy when I asked him.” She said, fiddling with the edge of her sling before grabbing the remote. “And I braved your entertainment system to queue up the original Star Wars trilogy.” She sighed. “And there’s Rocky Road ice cream in the fridge.” She paused. “I know birthdays aren’t your thing…” 

He couldn’t find the words. The one time his mom had thrown him a real birthday she’d rented the Star Wars movies from Blockbuster, bought him some Rocky Road, and made a Velvet cake. They didn’t have any red food coloring so she’d substituted it with green. Over the years he’d had various types of parties, especially once he’d been called up to the Padres, but nothing had ever compared to that birthday. Just him and his mom and a violently green cake. All the others seemed empty somehow. 

“You did all this for me?” He murmured. Ginny nodded. 

“No one should be alone on their birthday, old man.” She murmured, her voice soft. Mike couldn’t be sure, but it seemed that she had a bit of experience with lonely birthdays and he made a note to make sure he threw her the best damn party she’d ever had. “Even if it means I have to suffer through your annoying blabbing through the movies.” 

Mike laughed. “My expert commentary is invaluable to your movie viewing experience.” 

“Huh.” Ginny tilted her head. “Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before you went senile.” She walked over to the fridge. “I may have happened to spy a six pack of grape soda in the fridge…” 

Mike scoffed. “Happened to spy?” 

“Completely accidentally.” Ginny assured, the picture of sincerity. If he hadn’t been witness to her frequently raiding his fridge, he’d have been fooled. 

“I bought it because the gremlin who eats my food had a list of complaints about my grocery shopping habits.” Mike said. Ginny grabbed a can and put it on the counter. Looking at her shoulder, she seemed to brace herself. Opening it one handed was going to be difficult, but if he offered to help her, she’d be pissed. Mike grabbed the can and walked over to the TV, opening it and taking a gulp. Grimacing, he handed it back to her. 

“Still disgusting.” He declared. “Honestly, Baker. What are you doing to yourself?” 

Ginny grabbed the can, glaring at him. “And now I have to deal with your gross backwash.” 

“I do not backwash.” He hipchecked her as he passed. Ginny rolled her eyes, jumping onto the couch. 

“So, which one of these movies does Spock show up in?” 

Mike glared at her. “That’s Star…” He broke off as she smirked at him. Rolling his eyes he threw a pillow at her. “Shut up.” 

She laughed, getting comfortable on her half of the couch. Mike tried not to think about how natural this all felt, how happy he was that she’d ignored all his directives to leave him alone today. Though if he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t told her his demands about his birthday, probably because he’d been hoping for an outcome like this one. 

“Baker.” He said as the opening credits began. “Thanks.” he said. She gave him a small smile and nodded. 

“Any time old man.” 

 

 

4  
Ginny walked out of her physical therapist’s office, winching as she adjusted her sling. Bracing herself, she looked at the door. She’d gotten a notification that her location had been leaked. Even now, the entire clinic was probably under siege by reporters and paparazzi. She was tired. 

“God, how do you drink this stuff.” 

Ginny turned around. Mike was sitting in a plastic chair, a can of grape soda in hand and a disgusted look on his face. 

“I’m serious, Baker.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t even taste like grape it tastes like….purple.” He stood. “And it’s somehow all the vending machine had.” 

Ginny blinked. “What are you doing here?” 

Mike smirked. “I’m your knight in shining armor.” Ginny glared. She hadn’t asked him for help. Seeming to understand her line of thinking, he held up a hand. “I’ve had my fair share of less than flattering coming out of doctors appointments pap shots. He said. “And I know how much you don’t want people seeing your sling.” He motioned towards the back of the office. “So here’s the plan. This office adjoins with the coffee shop next door which conveniently has a back exit. My car’s parked around the block. We’ll be half a mile away before they realize they’ve been duped.” He paused, tilting his head. “No need to hold your applause.” 

Ginny bit back a laugh. “I guess it’s pretty impressive that you’ve managed to find a way to play super spy.” 

Mike shook his head, rolling his eyes as he motioned for her to follow. “There is such a thing called gratitude.” 

Ginny grabbed the soda out of his hand, taking a sip. Mike led her through a door. Sure enough, it led into a dark hallway that matched the aesthetic of the hipster coffee place she’d noticed on her way into the therapist’s office. Waving at the barista, Mike opened a back access. The alley behind the building had two outlets. Mike pulled off his jacket and handed it to Ginny. Wordlessly she accepted it, trying to pull it over her shoulders, but it was difficult to do it one handedly. Mike was at her side, draping it so her arm was covered.

“Thanks.” 

“No problem.” He said, “Super spies need disguises.” 

Ginny snorted as they walked out of the alley. A glance down the street and she felt a sense of relief when she saw the crowd of people in front of the doctor’s office, not looking in their direction. Mike gently put his hand on her elbow, steering her towards the other end of the block. 

“Walk,” He said, his voice a low rumble. “And act normal. If you go too fast, or act like you expect people to recognize you they’ll pay attention to you.” 

Ginny pouted, nodding. “Yes, Captain.” 

Mike rolled his eyes.. “Fair warning, I will trip you to save myself.” He smirked as she shot him a glare. “You can run fast, I’ve got bad knees.” 

“Guess Livan’s officially my choice for my zombie apocalypse survival team.” Ginny enjoyed Mike’s look of irritation.

“And here I was about to offer to buy you lunch.” Mike muttered, stopping by his car and unlocking it. Ginny got in before he could offer to get her door. Settling in, she buckled her seat as Mike got into the driver’s seat. As he drove, she fiddled with the radio, eventually turning it off. 

“What, no Katy Perry tribute act?” Mike smirked. Ginny rolled her eyes. 

“I do listen to other things, Lawson.” She tapped her fingers against the door. The doctors had told her she’d be ready come spring training. “My sling comes off in a week.” She commented. 

“Oh, you mean we’re ignoring the fact that you’ve been using it to carry your phone and wallet?” Mike said. 

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Gonna need to start practicing soon.” She mumbled. 

“We’ll run pitches at Petco as soon as you’re cleared.” Mike said. 

“Lawson.” Ginny said. While she appreciated the offer, she couldn’t ask him to jeopardize his knees that way, especially if he was planning on playing next season. 

“The doctors will supervise.” Mike kept his eyes forward. “Duarte may be your zombie apocalypse partner, but I’m your catcher.” His brow was furrowed and a vein jumped in his neck. He was jealous, she realized, worried that she’d move on without him. 

Ginny reached out her hand and put it on his forearm. He blinked before relaxing into her touch. “Lawson, you’ll always be my catcher.” 

He pulled into his driveway, stopping the engine before looking over at her, gratitude evident in his expression. She hadn’t moved her hand, slowly flexing her fingers around his arm. Mike moved. It was almost like outside Boardner’s almost a month and a half ago. And just like Boardners’, he was letting her lead. Ginny wanted to lean in, but she knew she couldn’t. Not yet. 

“Which is good, because you’re a shit spy.” 

The moment was broken. Mike scoffed, shaking his head as he pulled back, opening his door. “I’m sorry, how many pictures of you in the tabloids are there today?” 

She shook her head, getting out as well. “Lawson.” He stopped on his steps, turning slightly to look back at her. “Thank you.” 

He nodded before jerking his head towards his door. “Come on. I’ve got a fridge full of food that needs your approval and if I’m cooking to feed that stomach of yours I’ll need all the prep time I can get.” 

 

 

5  
Mike’s cooking skills had been a late discovery. If anyone asked, he’d say he was a natural, but the truth is, it wasn’t until after the divorce that’d he’d ever really had to do more than boil water. Not that he’d had Rachel cooking for him, he’d never expected that of her and with their schedules, the kitchen in their house had been like most of their marriage, a front of domesticity without much substance. He’d always assumed he couldn’t cook. It had been about 2 months into living alone that he’d accidentally found himself watching a cooking channel and a week after that, that he found himself trying them out. It turned into something to do when he was by himself. 

That being said, it wasn’t a skill he’d shared with just anyone. Until Ginny Baker. 

Ginny found his stash of cookbooks while snooping through his bookcase and had demanded proof of his skills.

It had then become common place that if Ginny was over at Mike’s place, he was cooking for her. 

Which is how he currently found himself making her a four course meal, because never let it be said that Mike Lawson half assed the first home cooked dinner he made for his...teammate. His teammate. 

Ginny sat on the counter, swinging her legs. “What are you making?” She asked, leaning over to look at the vegetables he was chopping. 

“I’m making- Don’t…” He glared at her as she grabbed a slice of tomato. “I’m holding a knife, Baker.” 

Ginny popped the tomato into her mouth, smiling as though she hadn’t just shaved a few years off his life. “And?” 

“And,” He sighed. “Your hands are kind of your income.” 

“I know.” She nodded, seriously. “That’s why they’re insured.” 

Mike shook his head, chuckling. “Sure.” 

“They almost were.” Ginny’s nose scrunched before she poked him in the side. “What’re you cooking?” 

Mike put down his knife. “You almost had your hands insured.” 

Ginny shrugged. “Amelia thought it would be a good idea after the accident to have certain parts of me covered.” She reached for another slice of tomato. “I told her no, because boundaries.” She reached for more tomato. “And because I don’t like the idea of someone putting a price on pieces of me.” 

Mike hadn’t realized that the two of them were talking again. Shaking his head, he pulled the cutting board away from her. Ginny pouted, before crossing her legs. 

“So, what are you making?” 

“Bruschetta, salad, Chicken Alfredo, and for dessert.” He paused for dramatic effect, earning himself side-eye from Ginny. “Cake pops.” 

Ginny’s eyes widened. “Cake pops?” She tilted her head. “Someone’s been stalking my instagram.” 

“What makes you say that?” Mike asked. “Did you post a video of yourself declaring you wanted to marry cake pops on instagram?” 

“You joke.” Ginny waved a finger at him. “But I got recipes from Martha Stewart and Chrissy Teigen.” 

“And who’s going to use those recipes?” Mike asked, opening his fridge. Ginny had been banned from so much as using the microwave in the clubhouse, a feat not even “grease fire Salvamini” had managed. Any attempt at baking on her part would result in disaster. 

“You.” Ginny said, without a trace of irony. Mike’s head shot up as he turned to look at her. She was watching him, her face slightly flushed, but she stubbornly stuck her chin up. Mike shut the refrigerator door, what had he even opened it for? 

Fighting his first impulse, which was to say he’d cook anything for her, any time. He shook his head. “So that’s how it is.” He joked. “You want me for my cooking skills, not my mind.” 

“No.” Ginny said. “I keep you around for the senior discounted movie tickets.” She grabbed one of the rolls and took a bite. 

“For that.” Mike pointed at her. “You’ll get nothing and like it.” 

 

 

 

6  
Ginny watched as Mike knelt in front of his soundsystem. “Records, old man?” 

“These are classic.” He said. “And I need to work on your music taste.” 

“I have excellent taste in music.” Ginny shot back, tilting her head. She wasn’t going to lie, while Mike was being annoying, the view was pretty good. 

“Checking out my ass, Baker?” Mike snarked. 

“Yes.” Ginny said. Mike straightened up, abruptly, hitting his head on the shelf above him. Falling back on his butt, he turned around, rubbing his head, glaring at Ginny as she laughed. The doorbell rang before he could retort. Shooting her a look that was both annoyed and a promise for revenge, he walked over to the door, opening it. Ginny busied herself with the remote, turning on his TV. 

Behind her, she heard Mike whispering urgently with someone, then the door closed. “Um, Baker.” He said. 

Ginny glanced over her shoulder. Mike was standing, his eyes down cast. He looked...scared. There was a woman standing next to him, who rushed over to Ginny, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Ginny Baker, oh it’s so good to meet you, I’ve never met any of Mikey’s teammates before.” 

Ginny’s eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Mike was moving, putting himself between the two of them, blocking the stranger from getting close to her. “Her arm is still recovering.” He said. “Which means she can’t hug you or shake your hand.” 

The woman seemed taken aback, but her smile came back into place. “Why don’t you introduce us, Mikey?” 

Mike looked as though there was nothing he wanted less. Shooting Ginny a plaintive look, he exhaled before saying. “This is Ginny Baker, Baker, this is...Jackie Lawson. My mom.” 

Ginny got up, intending on greeting her, but Mike refused to move out of her way. He also didn’t seem to want to look at her. “It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Lawson.” She said. 

Jackie looked her over, smiling. “Likewise, Ginny.” She looked up at Mike and Ginny saw the resemblance. Jackie and Mike both had the same cheekbones, the same way of carrying themselves, and, even though both of them were extremely uncomfortable, it was easy to see both were capable of, what Mike called, the “signature Lawson smile.” He hadn’t mentioned much of anything about his family or his childhood, outside of glowing stories about how awesome he was. But every once in a while he’d have a vulnerable moment and something would slip through. 

Mike motioned to the stairs. “I’ll show you to the guest room.” He said. “Baker, just...give me a minute.” He grabbed his mom’s suitcase from the entrance and walked to the stairs. 

“Baker?” His mother said. “You call her by her last name?” 

“Yes, mom.” He muttered, “She’s my teammate, just-” He shot Ginny a pained look before steering Jackie upstairs. 

“Teammate, huh?” Ginny heard Jackie say before the guest room door slammed. Ginny looked around the room, feeling like she was intruding on something Mike didn’t want her to see. Hushed voices came from upstairs. Ginny grabbed her phone, hesitating as she considered calling an Uber to take her back to the hotel. She’d never thought of asking Mike about his family. His unconditional support of her when her mother visited made sense. She thought he was being nice for the sake of being nice, but he’d been doing it because he had experience with difficult parental relationships. 

She was broken out of her thoughts by Mike rushing down the stairs. He froze, looking at her in alarm, glancing nervously up the stairs before plastering a fake grin on his face. “Hey, sorry about that.” He shrugged. “She’s...She didn’t tell me she was coming. We’re free spirits, us Lawsons. We just roam and-” 

“Mike.” Ginny murmured, unable to handle another second of Mike lying to himself. His face fell and he dropped his gaze “Do you need me here?” He opened his mouth to respond and she quickly added. “Because if you need me here, I can stay.” She gave him a smile. “It’s no problem, plus. Moms love me. I’m like...great with moms.” She winced at the awkwardness of the declaration, but Mike didn’t seem to mind. In fact, a small grin, a real one this time, was tugging at his lips. 

“Baker, you don’t have to.” He murmured. 

“But I want to.” She insisted, crossing her arms. “If you need a buffer, I’m here.” 

Mike looked up towards the room, taking a deep breath before looking back at Ginny. “Please stay.” He whispered. “Just-” He seemed at a loss for how to express what he wanted to say. “I need you here, but I-” 

She took his hand and gave him a bracing smile. “I’m here.” His grip on her fingers tightened before he looked up the top of the stairs. 

“Thank you.” He choked out. 

 

7  
Evelyn was ready to lose her mind. How the hell was no one else seeing what she was seeing? 

She knew she should be focusing on the amazing party she’d thrown in honor of the beginning of Spring training. Ginny and Mike were leaving first and Blip was joining them later. Most of the other players were spending time with their wives and kids, enjoying food and conversation. The single players were hanging out, drinking beer and cracking jokes...with the exception of two. 

Mike Lawson and Ginny Baker had been sitting on adjacent deck chairs in the yard and hadn’t moved, ignoring almost all other requests to socialize with anyone else and only getting up for food. Evelyn narrowed her eyes as Ginny threw back her head and laughed, shifting sideways so she was completely facing Mike. He leaned, watching her with a dazed look on his face. She shook her head. That was it. She had to know what they were talking about. 

Under the guise of throwing out beer bottles, she approached them 

“I’m serious, rookie.” 

“Not your rookie anymore.” Ginny rolled her eyes, collapsing onto the deck chair dramatically. Mike chuckled. 

“So you saying you’ll leave me alone this season?” He asked. 

“As if you could keep away from me old man.” Ginny smirked. “Face it, you’ve got Ginsanity.” 

Mike shook his head, shutting his eyes. “Get me another beer.” 

“Nu uh.” Ginny retorted. “I got the last round, besides.” She picked up her empty plate and dropped it on his lap.” You said you’d get me more food.” 

Groaning and making a show of getting up, Mike walked over to the house, not paying attention to what was in front of him. Evelyn had to jump out of the way. 

“Mike.” 

He whirled around, looking down at her in surprise. “Ev.” He flushed, seemingly embarrassed. “Sorry, didn’t see you there.” 

“Uh huh.” Evelyn waited until he went back inside the house before rounding on Ginny. “Spill.” 

Ginny frowned. “Spill what?” Evelyn wasn’t fooled. Taking Mike’s seat across from Ginny, she eyed her. The last couple of months, she hadn’t seen one of them without the other and it had been annoying because it meant she couldn’t press either of them for details. 

“What’s happening between you and Mike Lawson.” 

Ginny glanced over at the house. “Well right now, he’s getting me my food.” Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. Either Ginny was deliberately avoiding the question or she really didn’t know. Evelyn had seen the way Mike was acting around her. He hadn’t been this smitten since Rachel. Hell, he hadn’t even been this smitten with Rachel and Ginny. After everything she’d been through she needed steady support. 

Ginny’s guilty, scared eyes when she looked back at Evelyn spoke volumes. “How did you know?” She whispered. “That you and Blip…” She stopped, afraid of what she was trying to voice. Oh shit. Evelyn had known Ginny had a crush on Mike, but this...this was worse. This was deeper and more destructive than she was sure the both of them had bargained for. Looking over at her husband, she smiled. 

“Blip has this...presence.” Evelyn explained. “I knew the first time I saw him that he’d be in my life forever, one way or another.” She shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a stubborn idiot and sometimes I want to strangle him, but there’s no one else I trust to have my back.” She sighed. “Even if he sometimes needs a bit of a wakeup call to have it.” She looked back at Ginny. “Relationships are hard. I love you, but you have a tendency to cut and run when you get scared, not-” She held up a hand. “That that’s been the wrong decision. Trevor was using you and Noah…” She wrinkled her nose. “I mean who offers to fly a person around the world after two dates?” Shaking her head. “But if you think you love Mike, then you have to really assess if it’s worth the work it’s going to take.” 

Ginny shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.” She mumbled. “At least not until the end of the season.” 

Evelyn didn’t know how to respond. Getting up, she walked back into the house. Mike was in the dining room, loading up two plates, clearly getting ready to carry them back to Ginny. “Mike.” She said. He looked up, grinning. 

“Thanks for having me, Ev, I-” He broke off when she hugged him. “What’s this for?” He asked slowly. 

Evelyn smiled, pulling back. “If you hurt her, I’ll break every bone in your body.” 

He blinked at her before turning back to the plates. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He drawled. 

“Don’t even try it.” She glared. “The two of you are going to have to deal with hell once-” 

“Nothing’s happening.” He cut her off, strangely angry. “I’m not…” He shook his head, waving annoyedly towards the deck chairs. “It’s not that I don’t want it, but she stands to lose too much.” He took a deep breath. “So I’m putting off what I want for her.” He jerked his head in Blip’s direction. “You get it. That’s what you do for those you love.” He turned away, seemingly realizing that he’d admitted more than he wanted to. Grabbing the plates, he marched to the door, going outside. Evelyn watched as he growled at Robles, who’d taken his spot on the deck chair next to Ginny. Robles ran back inside as Mike settled down in his chair. 

Evelyn watched the two of them, two lost lonely people, desperately trying to hide from the world just how much they needed each other. 

Two arms encircled her and she looked up at Blip. 

“They’ll be okay.” He murmured. 

“How do you know?” She said. 

“Because.” He hummed, swaying a bit as he held her. “Just like us, what they have is bigger than anything life can throw at them.” He frowned as Mike said something that had Ginny doubled over in laughter. Evelyn rolled her eyes. 

“You hate it.” 

“I hate it.” Blip agreed. “But, they both make each other happy.” 

 

 

Outside Ginny put her hand in the space between them. She left it hanging there as she berated Mike’s lack of hatred for cilantro. As she talked, he shifted closer, his arm going over the side of the chair, his fingers touching hers. A silence fell, neither of them moved their hands, both wanting to close the gap further, but neither of them ready for it just yet.


End file.
